


In Your Head

by Coolestjoy30



Category: The Flash (TV 2014)
Genre: Barry Allen & Cisco Ramon Friendship, Blood and Injury, Cisco Ramon Whump, Cisco Ramon is Not Okay, Cisco Ramon is Vibe, Cisco Ramon-centric, Coma, Comatose Cisco, Doctor Caitlin Snow, Gen, Head Injury, Hurt Cisco Ramon, Hurt/Comfort, Major Character Injury, Past Child Abuse, Worried Barry Allen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-03-05
Updated: 2021-03-12
Packaged: 2021-03-18 02:22:26
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 6,466
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29851125
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Coolestjoy30/pseuds/Coolestjoy30
Summary: Barry takes a day off, leaving Cisco to be the hero for the night. Which usually would turn out fine, but when Cisco faces what seems like a harmless robber, it was not.Cisco gets hit on the head over and over, leaving him in a very wounded and vulnerable state.When he finally gets help, Cisco is injured and confused, and the Team tries to help in any way that they can.But what can Team Flash do against a brain injury?
Relationships: Barry Allen & Cisco Ramon, Barry Allen & Cisco Ramon & Caitlin Snow, Barry Allen/Iris West, Cisco Ramon & Caitlin Snow
Comments: 7
Kudos: 13





	1. When Everything Falls Apart

**Author's Note:**

> Title from Zombie by The Cranberries.  
> Enjoy!

It was Barry’s night off, as he and Iris really wanted to spend some time alone, so Cisco and Caitlin were alone at Star Labs early in the evening.

There had been no recent meta-human attacks, luckily, so Cisco was repairing Barry’s suit and Caitlin was cleaning the med-bay. 

Caitlin sighed and pulled her hair back in a ponytail, glancing at the clock. 

“I think I’m going to go home, I have a ton of work to do.”

“Like what?” Cisco asked, his attention focused on the suit. Caitlin got up and picked up her purse. 

“I’m repainting the kitchen, I’ve always hated the bright green.”

Cisco gave a pout. “Please don't tell me you’re painting it a boring color, like grey or something. I loved the green.”

“It’s my house, Cisco, and I’m painting it dark blue.”

Cisco put his thread and needle down, raising his eyebrows. “Dark blue? Like, the same dark blue in every room of your apartment?”

“Yes, I like the uniformity.”

After some silence, she spoke up again. 

“I think you should go home, too. Nothing exciting is going to happen tonight.”

Cisco went back to working. “Nothing exciting at home, either. Barry has a day off, so why shouldn’t I work overtime?”

Caitlin sighed, knowing that he had no care for his own personal life. “Cisco, you work overtime every night. When was the last time you got to bed early, or cleaned your place?”

“Long time, but I basically live at Star Labs. There’s no need to go home and clean.”

Caitlin shrugged on her coat. “Please, if not clean then go home and sleep. I can tell you’re exhausted.” 

It was quite obvious. The bags under his eyes were prominent, and his clothes were crumpled from falling asleep at his desk. Cisco blinked rapidly at her, confused, but that only proved Caitlin’s suspicions.

“Cisco, please, I’m begging you, sleep in your bed!” 

“But, it’s only..” Cisco whined, checking the clock, “7:30. It’s way too early to go to bed!”

“Fine!” Caitlin huffed, exiting the cortex. “Be home and in bed by 10pm!”

“We’ll do!” He responded, and got back to work. 

He knew that he wasn’t getting enough sleep, but he found that it wasted his precious time; there was always something to get done. Cisco realized that he needed sleep, sure, but didn’t think of prioritizing it. 

It was nothing that caffeine couldn’t fix.

Cisco returned his focus back on Barry’s suit, where the sleeve had a big tear in it from the most recent meta human: a young man whose extremely long tongue was as sharp as a knife. 

It was really weird, but now he was (thankfully) in the Pipeline, never to hurt anyone again. 

Cisco got lost in his work, and soon began to run some updates on the computers.

Subconsciously, Cisco glanced at the clock, realizing that it was nearly midnight.

Caitlin was going to kill him if she found out. 

Cisco grabbed his coat to leave, but soon heard the metahuman alert go off. He dropped his coat and gracefully landed in the computer chair, muting the alert. He quickly found out what was causing the trouble, a man, possibly mid-forties, robbing a bank, and grabbed his Vibe suit. 

When the Flash had a night off, it meant that it was Vibe’s turn to stop the baddies. 

\---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

When Cisco arrived at the bank, there was no one around, no one but the robber. 

“Hey, Hugh Jackman! I’m pretty sure the bank’s closed, unless you plan on using an ATM, which is across the street.” Vibe called, and the man turned to him, a smirk written on his face. 

“Hello, Vibe. Not the man I wanted but a fun fight nonetheless.” His voice was gravelly and deep. In response, Cisco gave a laugh.

“Oh, you want a fight? That’s a shame, because it's not going to be a long one.”

The man who Cisco dubbed Gravel (dumb name, he knew, but he would deal with that later), ran to throw a punch at Vibe, but he ducked out of the way, throwing a counter attack. 

Cisco weaved out of Gravel’s way, shooting a sonic blast at his feet, making Gravel fly back a bit, but not too much.

Gravel ran forward, faster than Vibe anticipated, and hit Cisco’s knee, forcing him to the ground.

Before Cisco could react, Gravel gripped his chin, digging his fingers into the skin. Cisco squirmed, trying to get out of his reach, but the stronger man held on fast.

Cisco felt a cold sensation flow through his head, like a sharp icicle, and cried out in pain. 

Gravel, whose name did not seem appropriate now, gave a laugh. “Let’s see what sort of traumatic memories you have in there, Vibe.”

Cisco screamed as the force of the power pushed through his head, and he blacked out. 

_Cisco opened his eyes to his childhood bedroom, adorned with books of every kind lining the shelves, and a remote control car sitting on the desk. Cisco looked for a blue tint to the world he was in, but there was none._

_This wasn’t a vibe._

_Cisco heard yelling come from the lower floor, and made his way down the stairs, his footsteps echoing through the hallway. He was greeted with photos of his family, his parents, and Dante, but they were all a lot younger. Cisco stopped to look at a family photo, which was always updated every year, until Dante left high school, and there Cisco was, looking like he was eleven years old._

_“You will never be good enough for this family, Francisco! You always disobey!” A stern voice said, and Cisco recognized it as his father’s._

_“I’m so sorry! I promise it won’t happen again, Papa! You have to believe me!”_

_Cisco gulped, as recognition finally dawned on him. That was him, begging for his father’s forgiveness. If he was eleven, that meant that today he…._

_Oh, no. He did not want to relive this._

_Cisco tried to stop his feet from moving forward, but now he had no control. He walked into the kitchen, where his whole family was gathered. His father was enraged, and the younger Cisco had tears falling down his face. His mother and Dante both looked terrified, and Cisco knew why._

_His father was always abusive, especially with his youngest son, but today he took it way too far._

_Cisco remembered this day all too well, and subconsciously brought his hand to the side of his head._

_The younger Cisco shook where he stood, his short hair greasy and unkept._

_“I didn’t mean to be late, I promise! I ran into a couple of mean kids who told me I had to do their homework-”_

_“I don’t want your excuses!” His father shouted, and both Cisco's flinched. His father proceeded to pick up a kitchen knife, and younger Cisco quickly backed up._

_“Dante, grab your brother.” His father said, and Dante looked up from the floor, fear also evident in his eyes._

_“But, Papa-”_

_“Now! Or you’ll be next!”_

_“Ian, what are you doing?” Cisco's mother yelled as Dante grabbed Cisco from behind._

_“Teaching this brat a lesson.” His father said, gripping younger Cisco’s chin._

_“Don’t move.”_

_Cisco closed his eyes at this point, and flinched when he heard his younger self scream. He knew what was happening, his father was drawing the knife across his head, deep enough to scar._

_“No! Ian, stop! You’re killing him!” His mother yelled, but it was barely heard above Cisco’s screams of pain. ___

__Cisco bolted awake with a jolt, and saw Gravel looking down at him, the same evil smirk that he was wearing previously still on his face._ _

__“So, you were tortured by your old man. I can't say that I’ll replicate that, but now I know you’re likely very sensitive around your head, isn't that right, _Francisco _?”___ _

____Cisco closed his eyes, knowing that he was right. Ever since his own father gave him six knife wounds along his head, three on each side, he’s always hated anything sharp near his head. Even scissors._ _ _ _

____Which wasn’t really an issue, as he wanted to hide the scars, thus, he grew his hair long. That way, no one would have any idea that something horrible happened to him, and nothing would ever go near his head._ _ _ _

____But, it looked like Gravel had other ideas._ _ _ _

____The older man lifted Cisco off of the ground, and slammed him into a nearby wall, his head making impact. Cisco grunted, unwilling to show weakness in front of this criminal.  
But that wish was taken away when he was slammed into the wall again, then thrown to the ground. _ _ _ _

____Cisco screamed as he felt burning pain in his head, and felt warm liquid trickle down his face._ _ _ _

____Gravel quickly broke a stop sign, and swung the pole at Cisco head. Vibe let out a yelp, and dodged it at the last moment. He tried to get up, but his head was foggy, and the street swayed in his view._ _ _ _

____He didn’t realize the pole was bearing down on him until it was too late._ _ _ _

____Cisco saw a bright light, then everything was black once again._ _ _ _

____\----------------------------------------------------------------------_ _ _ _

____Cisco awoke to silence, and slowly opened his eyes, cringing at how bright the lights were._ _ _ _

____But these weren't the white lights of the med-bay that he assumed that he woke up to, but the yellow of a street light. Cisco could feel the cold street beneath him, and he groaned._ _ _ _

____He stumbled to his feat, and gripped the closest object he could find, which was a trash can._ _ _ _

____Where was he again?_ _ _ _

____Cisco could only remember a few things. One: a meta was there. And two: that he should be sleeping right now._ _ _ _

____He couldn't remember where he was, but judging by the view, he was in a city of sorts…_ _ _ _

____Wait, he was in Central City! He lived here!_ _ _ _

____Cisco smiled as some memories came flooding back to him._ _ _ _

____He also knew that Dante lived here too, and maybe he could help him feel better, because Cisco’s head was killing him._ _ _ _

____Dante always patched him up whenever their father hurt Cisco. So he could do it now, right?_ _ _ _

____He pulled out his phone, and frowned when he saw that it was password protected. He didn’t remember his password, so he clicked on the emergency dial button, and called Dante’s number._ _ _ _

____He slid to the ground as he did so, too weak to stay standing._ _ _ _

____It rang, and rang, and rang, and Cisco had no clue why Dante wasn’t picking up. Eventually, a robotic voice came on, saying that the phone number had been disconnected._ _ _ _

____Cisco closed his eyes as his vision began to swim, unanswered questions filling his brain. Why was Dante’s phone number disconnected? Why did he feel so disoriented? And who else did he need to call..?_ _ _ _

____Surely he had other friends, right?_ _ _ _

____Wait! Barry! He could call Barry! Cisco opened his eyes and reached for the phone again, but soon realized that he didn’t know his number._ _ _ _

____Cisco stood up once again, his legs shaking, and made his hand into a fist, willing it to create a portal to….whose house again?_ _ _ _

____Barry’s. He was going to Barry’s house._ _ _ _

____A breach opened, and Cisco stumbled through, hitting the wall with another groan. He felt his knees buckle, and he was on the ground in an instant._ _ _ _

____Cisco felt tears brim in his eyes, and crawled over to the door, his head in immense pain. He couldn’t think straight, but still managed to find the right door, get to his feet, and knock._ _ _ _

____Cisco shivered as he waited, and knocked again, vaguely realizing that this may have been the wrong place. Just as he was about to leave, where to he didn't know, an exhausted Barry opened the door, blinking the sleep from his eyes._ _ _ _

____“Cisco? What’s going on, man? It’s literally four in the morning!” Barry whispered, but his eyes widened when he saw the state his friend was in._ _ _ _

____Cisco had tons of dried blood on the right side of his face, and was quivering like a leaf, looking like he was going to pass out at any moment._ _ _ _

____He still had his suit on, so Barry assumed that a meta had done this to him, and mentally kicked himself for taking a day off._ _ _ _

____Barry grabbed Cisco’s shoulders and ushered him inside, slinging Cisco’s arm around his shoulder. Cisco’s feet gave out, and he gave a whimper, but Barry still managed to hold him up._ _ _ _

____“Iris!” Barry called, and she walked into the room. Her mouth was agape in shock at the sight, and was at Cisco’s other side in an instant._ _ _ _

____They gently placed Cisco down on the couch, and Barry quickly got some water and towels, beginning to clean the blood from Cisco’s face._ _ _ _

____“Cisco? What happened?” Barry asked, and Cisco’s head moved away from the cloth._ _ _ _

____“Head….hurts…meta...Gravel….” He mumbled, his words began to slur together, and Barry bit his lip in worry._ _ _ _

____“Iris, call Caitlin. He definitely has a head injury.”_ _ _ _

____“Already on it.” Iris said, pressing the phone to her ear. Barry could hear his wife talking to Caitlin, and turned his attention back to Cisco, whose eyes had begun to droop._ _ _ _

____“Hey! Don’t go to sleep yet, okay? Just stay awake a bit longer!”_ _ _ _

____Cisco chuckled. “I’m not tired, Bart.”_ _ _ _

____Barry sighed, and got the cloth wet once again. “I’m Barry, not Bart.”_ _ _ _

____Cisco shrieked when Barry placed the cloth on his head once again, and Barry reeled back in shock._ _ _ _

____“Hey, it’s okay. It’s just a cloth and water.”_ _ _ _

____Cisco blinked rapidly, as if he was trying to make sense of what was going on. Iris pushed him back into the cushions, and wrapped a blanket around him._ _ _ _

____“Where….where am I again?” Cisco asked, and Barry gave Iris a concerned glance._ _ _ _

____“My apartment, Cisco.”_ _ _ _

____The smaller man squirmed, and fumbled for the zipper on his jacket, only to give up, as his vision was becoming blurry once again._ _ _ _

____“We need to get the Vibe suit off of him, Barry, it’s probably super uncomfortable and will only get in Caitlin’s way.” Iris said softly, and Barry nodded._ _ _ _

____Soon, though, as Barry’s thoughts caught up to him, he raised his eyebrows in question._ _ _ _

____“How am I supposed to do that? He has a head injury!”_ _ _ _

____Iris glanced at Cisco, who had begun to close his eyes again, shaking him awake._ _ _ _

____“Use superspeed while I hold his head. It’s going to be hard, but it will be better in the long run.”_ _ _ _

____“But he’s my best friend! I can’t just undress him like that!”_ _ _ _

____Iris groaned, and gave him a hard stare. “Barry, he always wears clothes underneath his costume. Besides, this could be a matter of life or death!”_ _ _ _

____“Fine.”_ _ _ _

____With a gust of wind and a flash of light, Cisco was wearing his comfortable undershirt and pants, and he seemed to be a little more at ease.  
Caitlin burst into the room with her medical kit in hand. _ _ _ _

____“Cisco!” She exclaimed, getting on her knees in front of him. His eyes focused on her, and he gave a pained smile._ _ _ _

____“Hey, Chole.”_ _ _ _

____Caitlin bit her lip as she rummaged through her first aid kit, grabbing a penlight._ _ _ _

____“ I'm going to ask you a couple of questions okay?” Caitlin started, flashing the penlight in his eyes. “Do you know your middle name?”_ _ _ _

____Cisco gave her a confused look, but didn’t respond._ _ _ _

____Caitlin sighed, “His pupils aren't reacting, he’s definitely got a concussion of sorts. A severe one, he seems really confused. Do we know what happened?”_ _ _ _

____Barry shook his head. “He showed up like this.”_ _ _ _

____“Chole, I’m tired.”_ _ _ _

____“Cisco, we need to get you to Star Labs before you can sleep, and I'm Caitlin. Caitlin Snow. Do you remember?”_ _ _ _

____But, like the first time, Cisco didn’t respond. His eyes, though, filled with panic, and only Barry saw him dry heave, and got a bucket under him right on time._ _ _ _

____Cisco retched into the bucket, and both Iris and Caitlin jumped at the change of events, and Caitlin got up; the doctor look on her face._ _ _ _

____“We need to take him to Star Labs, now. Barry, run him there, but be a bit slower than normal, and cushion his head against you. Be super, super gentle. Drop him off on the medical bed, and strap him down. I don’t want him doing anything stupid while you run and get me there, too.”_ _ _ _

____Barry nodded, and cautiously picked Cisco up when he was done vomiting, rested his head against his shoulder, and flashed out of the room._ _ _ _

____Iris gave Caitlin a concerned glance. “Is he going to be okay?”_ _ _ _

____Caitlin bit her lip. “I don’t know.”_ _ _ _

____—————————————_ _ _ _

____Moments later, Caitlin was giving a barely conscious Cisco a CT scan, while Barry and Iris stood out of the way, both of them extremely concerned.  
“Guys?” Cisco mumbled, and Barry got closer._ _ _ _

____“Dante didn’t pick up his phone.” Cisco said, the words slurring together and Barry’s face was full of sadness._ _ _ _

____Barry assumed that Cisco didn’t remember that Dante died, and had tried to call him. How would he tell Cisco that his brother was gone?_ _ _ _

____He weighed his options._ _ _ _

____He could tell Cisco right now, when he may not remember, or just lie, and hope that his best friend regained his memories when he was feeling better._ _ _ _

____Barry figured that it was best to tell him._ _ _ _

____“Cisco….Dante died two years ago.”_ _ _ _

____Cisco blinked, and gave a small sigh. “Oh.”_ _ _ _

____Suddenly, Cisco lurched forward, dry heaving once again. Iris held a bucket under him, she had prepared for this, and Cisco’s whole body shook as he hurled, his forehead drenched in sweat._ _ _ _

____“My head hurts.” He mumbled when he was done, and Barry gently pushed him back onto the cot._ _ _ _

____“I know, but it’s going to get a bit better soon.” he said comfortingly._ _ _ _

____Caitlin suddenly inhaled sharply, and glanced over at Cisco, who was now studying the heart monitor with curiosity._ _ _ _

____“Cait...what’s wrong with him?” Barry asked, and Caitlin bit her lip studying the result of the CT scan._ _ _ _

____“He has some bleeding in the brain, it’s bad. I have no clue how he’s still conscious.” She replied, worry evident in her features. She moved Cisco’s hair out of his face, and he looked at her with confusion._ _ _ _

____“What can we do?” Barry asked, and Caitlin shrugged on her lab coat._ _ _ _

____“We need to get him some oxygen.”_ _ _ _

____“On it.” Iris said, and she began to get the oxygen ready. Caitlin grabbed a container of clear liquid, and began preparing an IV line._ _ _ _

____Iris placed the oxygen mask on Cisco, who had begun to close his eyes, and Iris shook him awake._ _ _ _

____“Caitlin, he’s falling asleep!” She exclaimed, but Caitlin didn’t seem too worried. Cisco’s eyes drifted closed once again._ _ _ _

____“It won’t matter. The only way to stop the bleeding in his brain is either to do surgery,” Caitlin replied, hooking the IV up and placing it into Cisco’s arm, “...which we are not prepared to do, or一”_ _ _ _

____“Put him in a coma.” Barry finished, his face becoming pale. Caitlin nodded._ _ _ _

____“I just gave him some pentobarbital, it should put him in a coma for as long as he needs to heal. Then, we can take him off the drug when he's ready.”_ _ _ _

____“Is putting him in a coma the only way?” Barry asked. He knew what it felt like, and it didn’t feel very good. And, Barry got lucky. He woke up and had no lingering side effects, but that was because of his speed._ _ _ _

____But Cisco didn’t have the Speedforce; he would have tons of issues, like a hard time breathing, his muscles would tighten, and would his brain be permanently damaged..?_ _ _ _

____Caitlin placed a hand on Barry’s arm._ _ _ _

____“I know it’s scary, but it’s the only way we can help him.”_ _ _ _

____Barry nodded, wringing his hands out anxiously. “Okay.”_ _ _ _

____Caitlin quickly checked Cisco’s vitals, which were thankfully stabling, and his brain activity, which had begun to lower._ _ _ _

____Barry looked down on his now-comatose friend and sat in the chair next to the cot in defeat._ _ _ _

____Cisco needed him, and he wasn’t there. Whoever did this to him was probably still out in the streets of their city, but Barry needed to be here for Cisco._ _ _ _

____It wasn’t that long ago, when Barry himself had been lying in this same cot, with Caitlin being the doctor, and his future best friend by his side._ _ _ _

____Cisco didn’t leave him then. So Barry would never, ever, leave him now._ _ _ _


	2. Livin' the Coma Life

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Barry and Caitlin take care of Cisco while he's in the coma, and learn some new things about their friend and how their friendship has been altered.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the long wait!

_Two days into the coma ___

__Barry gently wiped Cisco’s jaw with a wet rag, removing the excess shaving cream from when Barry had shaved his face. He could hear Caitlin walking around behind him, but Barry found that he couldn't bring himself to look away from Cisco’s expressionless face._ _

__Barry, despite being Cisco’s best friend, felt embarrassed that he had to shave Cisco's face, but he knew that his best friend always wanted to be clean shaven, no matter what the circumstance._ _

__So, Barry wanted to honor that, and not worry about his own feelings, even though he felt ashamed of it._ _

__Cisco never wanted help with anything, and truly wanted his privacy. Barry remembered one time, when Cisco got injured, that he asked everyone but Caitlin to leave the room, as he didn’t want everyone to see him bare chested as Caitlin patched him up._ _

__But now, between Barry, Caitlin, and sometimes Iris, they all took care of him. Caitlin took care of the grosser, more personal stuff, like bathing him and feeding him, while Barry and Iris dealt with the smaller issues, like shifting his position periodically, and shaving his face._ _

__Barry felt Caitlin’s hand on his shoulder, and turned around, realizing that he had tears in his eyes._ _

__“Taking care of a coma patient sucks.” Barry stated, and Caitlin gave him a sad look._ _

__“I know. It was hard taking care of you, we all felt so helpless.”_ _

__Barry wiped the tears from his eyes, and thought back to all the jobs they had to do to take care of Cisco._ _

__“What did he do? You know, to take care of me?”_ _

__Caitlin gave a small smile and sat down. “He was in charge of the moral support, always talking to you, and kept us motivated. He shaved your face, too. At first he complained, but I think he warmed up to you.”_ _

__Barry laughed. “I honestly don’t see how, this is boring.”_ _

__“Maybe it’ll be less boring if you talked to him. He’s not completely brain dead, it’s possible that he’ll hear you.’_ _

__“But, Cait, that’s stupid.” Barry exclaimed, his voice rising louder than he meant it to._ _

__Caitlin’s lips pursed together. “It may be stupid to you, Barry, but it might help him, and it would certainly help you.”_ _

__“How would talking to a person in a coma help me?”_ _

__Caitlin got up, sighing. “You could get some things off of your chest, possibly. Just try it, once. Trust me.”_ _

__Barry lowered his head in defeat. “Fine.”_ _

__He then turned to Cisco, and bit his lip, unsure about what to say. What do you say to someone in a coma?_ _

__“I watched when Caitlin fed you today.” He started, running a hand through his hair. “It was really scary. Though I’m sure you know what happens, as, you know, you took care of me, but Caitlin thinks that I should talk to you so…”_ _

__Barry sighed, but still powered on. “She first opened your mouth, which, by the way, looked painful, and shoved a tube through your throat, and put some sort of liquid in it. It was really freaky, and I had to turn away. But, I guess you still have to eat.”_ _

__Cisco didn’t respond, but Barry could somehow tell that he was a bit more relaxed._ _

__The speedster smiled, and kept on talking._ _

__“We still haven’t found the guy who did this to you, but I feel like we’re close. Joe’s going to retrieve the security footage from the bank so we can see what happened, and get a face to run through the police database. I just hope that we can catch him.”_ _

__“Oh, but the way, I think you’ve gained a lot more muscle than before you became a superhero, like, dude, you got some guns there.”_ _

__Barry laughed, and felt better than he had in days._ _

__At first he thought that it was weird how much just talking had helped him, but then again, it was Cisco he was talking to._ _

__And Cisco always made his life a bit better._ _

__\-----------------------------------------------------------------_ _

__

___Five days into the coma ____ _

____Caitlin had just finished checking the bleeding in Cisco’s brain, which was healing, but not enough to pull him out, when her eyes widened._ _ _ _

____“Caitlin?” Barry asked, concern seeping into his features. “What is it?”_ _ _ _

____“It’s….” She started, giving a small laugh. “It’s nothing. I just realized that we haven’t brushed Cisco’s hair yet. He’s going to kill us when he wakes up.”  
Barry laughed, and looked over at Cisco, whose hair did seem a little messy._ _ _ _

____“Look, Barry, I know that I usually do this sort of thing, but I have to pick up a couple of things from the storage room downstairs. Could you maybe do it?”  
“Sure, it can’t be that hard. Where’s his brush?”_ _ _ _

____Caitlin walked over to a cabinet, and looked through it. Barry looked over, and saw a variety of candy, graphic t-shirts, old magazines, and a bunch of other random objects. He smiled._ _ _ _

____“This is Cisco’s place to hide all of his junk, I'm sure he has a brush in here somewhere.” Caitlin stated, and Barry ran over, searched through it at superspeed, and pulled out a brush._ _ _ _

____“Is this good?”_ _ _ _

____Caitlin gave a bright laugh, brighter than it has been in days._ _ _ _

____“It better be, or else we’re going to face his wrath.”_ _ _ _

____Barry then sat down and began to brush Cisco’s hair, relieved that Cisco wouldn't feel pain if he pulled too hard._ _ _ _

____The speedster soon found it grounding as he brushed Cisco's hair, but got a tad bit frustrated when he saw some tangles near the top of his head. He sighed, and parted the hair away from the tangle to get a closer look._ _ _ _

____Barry’s eyebrows furrowed in confusion as he saw a thin line on Cisco’s skull, a line that appeared to be a scar. He continued to part his hair out of the way, and gasped in shock when he found three scars, scars that were usually hidden by Cisco’s long locks._ _ _ _

____“What the….” Barry mumbled, and quickly searched the other side of his unconscious friend’s head, and found three more scars like it._ _ _ _

____Panicking, he called Caitlin on the speakers. Was it the meta that hurt Cisco the one to do this? Would it have caused more brain injury than Cisco already had?_ _ _ _

____“Caitlin! It’s Cisco!” Barry said, and hoped that that enough would bring the doctor up._ _ _ _

____Sure enough, Caitlin burst into the Cortex, files in hand, and rushed to Cisco’s side._ _ _ _

____“What is it? Did he flatline?”_ _ _ _

____“No, Cait, i just found something.” Barry replied, and showed her the scars._ _ _ _

____Her face became pale, and her hands hovered over the scars, as if touching them would burn her skin._ _ _ _

____“Do you think that Meta did this to him?” Barry asked quietly, but she shook her head._ _ _ _

____“These are really old, unless the meta had other powers…” She replied, her voice quavering. “I think we have to….you know….watch it.”_ _ _ _

____Barry bit his lip. Joe had given them the security footage from when Cisco got hurt, and had told them that it was horrific, they shouldn’t see it if they didn’t have to. Apparently the man had hit Cisco on the head with a stop sign over and over, even after Vibe had fallen unconscious._ _ _ _

____Barry didn’t want to see the video, but if the meta gave Cisco these scars….they would have to see how it worked in order to stop him. They would have to watch the footage._ _ _ _

____“Should I turn it on?” Caitlin said, and Barry gave a nod, reading himself. He sat beside Cisco and subconsciously grabbed his unmoving hand._ _ _ _

____Caitlin pulled up the security feed, and pressed play._ _ _ _

____The only person in frame was a man, a man that appeared very strong, , who was trying to pick the lock on the bank. The man turned and directly faced the camera, a confident smirk on his face._ _ _ _

____A blue portal appeared, and Vibe jumped through, his body landing gracefully on the pavement._ _ _ _

____They stood still for a while, and Barry could see their lips moved, so he assumed that they were talking, but soon started exchanging blows.  
Moments later Cisco was on the ground. _ _ _ _

____Then the man managed to grip onto Vibe’s chin, and the pain that Cisco must’ve felt was clearly written on Vibe’s features._ _ _ _

____But then, his face went blank._ _ _ _

____Caitlin and Barry watched in anticipation as Cisco seemed to snap back into consciousness, his body shaking in fear._ _ _ _

____The man, who they think Cisco referred to as Gravel, said some more, and then proceeded to hit Vibe on the head, slamming him into the nearest wall, once, then twice.  
Vibe was thrown to the ground, and Caitlin flinched when she saw the dark liquid pouring from his head. Gravel then proceeded to hit Cisco on the head with a pole._ _ _ _

____Even when Cisco was unmoving, the pole continued to be hit against his head, over and over and over again._ _ _ _

____Barry gripped Cisco’s hand harder, and forgot why they were watching this in the first place. All that he could think off was why he let this happen._ _ _ _

____Eventually, Gravel dropped the pole and wandered off, not even bothering to proceed into the bank._ _ _ _

____Caitlin turned the feed off, taking in a shuddering breath._ _ _ _

____“It looked like he was vibing,” Barry said, his voice cracking, “but why would he vibe in the middle of a fight?”_ _ _ _

____Caitlin shook her head. “He wouldn’t. I think that man did something to him. Why would Gravel wait to hit Cisco on the head until after he did whatever he did? It makes no sense otherwise.”_ _ _ _

____“So, the scars were from before? Maybe some previous trauma? Then why wouldn’t he mention it to us?”_ _ _ _

____Caitlin opened her mouth to respond, but Cisco began shaking on the cot, and Barry let go of his hand in shock._ _ _ _

____“It’s a seizure.” Caitlin exclaimed, rushing to his side._ _ _ _

____Barry stood up and gave the doctor some room, backing away from his best friend who was seizing _right in front of him. _____ _ _

______Barry felt his breath quicken as Caitlin injected Cisco with a drug, slowing his jerky movement. She felt his arm, which had grown less tense, and gave a sigh of relief._ _ _ _ _ _

______“Seizures are common in medically induced coma patients.” Caitlin said as she put an oxygen mask on Cisco. “He’s gonna be-“_ _ _ _ _ _

______Caitlin’s mouth went agap in shock when she saw Barry. His eyes were wide and frantic, and he was shaking like a leaf._ _ _ _ _ _

______“I can’t breath.” Barry gasped, and Caitlin rushed over to him._ _ _ _ _ _

______“Barry, you’re having a panic attack. Copy my breathing pattern, okay? In...and out.”_ _ _ _ _ _

______Barry struggled to steady his breathing, but when he had, he realized that both of them were on the floor, with Caitlin holding onto him._ _ _ _ _ _

______Barry wiped his tears from his eyes, and gave a sigh._ _ _ _ _ _

______“We could've lost him, and it would’ve been my fault. I can’t lose him, Caitlin!”  
“He’s going to be fine, Barry. I promise.”_ _ _ _ _ _

______“Are you sure?”_ _ _ _ _ _

______Caitlin gave a sad smile. “I’m sure. I think we can pull him out of the coma in a couple of days.”_ _ _ _ _ _

______Barry shakily stood up, and slowly walked over to Cisco._ _ _ _ _ _

______“Will waking up be hard for him? It was hard for me.”_ _ _ _ _ _

______“True. But most coma patients wake up slowly, you were an anomaly. For him it would be like waking up from a long nap.”_ _ _ _ _ _

______“Will his memory be better?”_ _ _ _ _ _

______Caitlin pushed Cisco’s hair away from his eyes. “I think so, we’ve given it plenty of time to heal. If not, we’re gonna have to think of something else.”_ _ _ _ _ _

______“Cisco’s the one who always made Plan B's.” Barry said softly. He grabbed the brush once again and finished brushing Cisco’s hair, his hands slightly shaking._ _ _ _ _ _

______Caitlin pulled his hands away. “Barry, you need to rest, that can wait.”_ _ _ _ _ _

______But the speedster shook his head. “Cisco’s done so much for me in the past, this is the least I can do.”_ _ _ _ _ _

______Caitlin dropped her hand. “Fine, but please get some rest after.”_ _ _ _ _ _

______Barry nodded and turned back to Cisco, beginning to tell him about his day._ _ _ _ _ _

______\--------------------------------------------------_ _ _ _ _ _

_______Nine days into the coma ____ _ _ _ _ _

________“You know what bothers me?” Barry said as Caitlin began to stop the drugs from flowing into Cisco's arm._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________Today was the day they were pulling him out of the medically induced coma, his brain had healed completely. All he had to do now was wake up._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________Caitlin turned to Barry, a confused expression on her face._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________“This is the closest I’ve been to Cisco ever since Flashpoint.” Barry said softly, and Caitlin stayed quiet, looking to her feet, knowing that he was right._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________Barry knew that he had not been as good a friend to Cisco that he should’ve been, these past days while Cisco was in a coma was when Barry talked to Cisco the most. Was present in Cisco’s life, all of the time._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

________And it killed him to know that it took Cisco falling into a _coma _for them to draw closer together as friends.___ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________He truly hoped that this closeness that Barry had felt to Cisco wouldn't go away when he woke up._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________“Well,” Caitlin said, her voice cracking, “there's a new sci-fi movie coming out that Cisco really wants to see. Maybe we can go together, the Original Team Flash. Just us three, like old times.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________Barry smiled. “That would be great. I hope it has good graphics, or else Cisco will be talking about it forever.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________“Isn’t that true.” Caitlin responded, and Cisco stirred on the bed._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________Barry’s eyes widened. “That was fast.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________“It’s going to take a while for him to actually become aware. All we can do now is wait.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________\-----------------------------------------------------------------------_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________Cisco felt like there was a heavy blanket covering his body, and tried to shrug it off of him, but found that his movements were slow and sluggish._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________Cisco opened his eyes to a bright light, and two people standing over him, one with long brown hair and the other with short brown hair. He didn’t recognize them, his vision was very blurry._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________But, as they came into focus, Cisco allowed himself to relax a little bit._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________“Hey, guys.” He croaked, and they smiled._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________“Welcome back.” Barry said, helping Cisco sit up._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________“Uhh...my muscles feel like lead.” Cisco groaned, and Caitlin flushed a penlight in his eye._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________“Do you know your name?” She asked, and Cisco nodded._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________“Cisco. Cisco Baracus Ramon. Why are you asking me this?”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________Barry gave a sigh of relief. “You got hit in the head, and had internal bleeding. We had to put you in a coma.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________“A coma, huh. That’s not fun.” Cisco replied, and Caitlin began pressing on his arm._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________“Hey! Cut that out, Caitlin!”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________Caitlin looked up from her work. “I need to test your muscles, there's a chance that they atrophied. Can you tell me my full name, as well as his name?”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________Cisco blinked, confused. “Caitlin Snow and Barry Allen. Easy. What, are you going to ask me how tall you are, too?”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________Caitlin smiled at his response. “Would you know?” She said teasingly._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________Cisco pouted. “No. I would say that Barry is as tall as Gandalf while you’re as tall as Aragorn.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________Barry tilted his head. “I’m pretty sure that’s not accurate, but I’m glad to hear that you remember everything.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________Cisco fidgeted with the heart monitor sticking on his chest._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________“I’m remembering now...the guy robbing the bank did this? Hit me on the head?”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________“Repeatedly.” Caitlin confirmed when she had finished briefly checked him over, sitting beside Cisco on the bed._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________“You had some bleeding in the brain, and loss of memory. You thought my name was Choe and Barry was Bart. You were awfully confused too. At first we thought it was a severe concussion.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________Cisco nodded, wincing at how the movement hurt his head._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________“Cisco, do you remember what that robber did to you? Before he hit you on the head?” Barry asked, crossing his arms over his chest casually._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________Cisco looked down onto the bed sheets, closing his eyes, remembering. The man had grabbed Cisco's chin, and then he saw when his dad…_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________“Yea. He made me relive a tragic childhood memory, one that involved me getting a head injury. I think he used it against me.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________Now it was Barry’s turn to nod, and he looked to Caitlin, as if trying to get her approval. Their eyes met, and Barry turned back to Cisco._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________“Would that memory involve the scars you have? Hidden under your hair?”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________Cisco’s hands shot up to the side of his head, instinctively, and his friends looked at him with pity._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________“Umm.. yea, my dad was abusive. I didn’t want you guys to worry about it.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________Barry held onto Cisco’s hand. “I get that, but I wish we would've known.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________Cisco gave a soft laugh. “You guys are the first to know, well, other than my family. I’m sorry.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________Caitlin gave a sad smile. “It’s okay, we were just shocked.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________They stayed in silence for a while, each of them cherishing the presence of the others._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________“You know,” Cisco said softly, “...you guys are my family. My true family. Nothing’s ever going to change that.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________“Right back at you, Cisco.” Barry said, and Caitlin gave Cisco a side hug._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________Barry passed Cisco a ticket._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________“The new sci-fi movie you’ve been wanting to see? Tickets for all three of us.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________Cisco’s face brightened. “Really?”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________“Yup.” Caitlin said, showing him a flyer. “And we’re going to force you to go to karaoke with us after. Barry says that you have quite the voice.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

__________‘Oh…” Cisco responded, his face turning beat red, “Well… I’m not _too _good.”___ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________“Liar.” Barry said with a grin, and Cisco groaned._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________“Fine, I’ll admit it. I can sing. But you and Caitlin are singing Summer Lovin’ again, or I'll breach you all to Earth-15.”_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

____________“Wouldn’t expect anything less.” Caitlin responded with a laugh._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading! I would love to hear what you guys thought of it!


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